A man paints a heart on the National Covid Memorial Wall in London
(AP)
South Asian communities in England experienced greater levels of Covid-19 infection, severe disease and death during the second wave when compared to other minority ethnic groups, according to scientists.
Researchers said that while disparities for hospital admissions and death improved for most minority ethnic groups between the first (February to September 2020) and the second wave (September to December 2020) of the pandemic, it widened for those from South Asian backgrounds.
The findings, published in the journal Lancet, are based on 17 million adults in England and is thought to be the largest study to date.
Dr Rohini Mathur, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, said: “Despite the improvements seen in most minority ethnic groups in the second wave compared to the first, it’s concerning to see that the disparity widened among South Asian groups.
“This highlights an urgent need to find effective prevention measures that fit with the needs of the UK’s ethnically diverse…
